Regional Imbalance, Agrarian Distress and Statehood Issue in Vidarbha

One of the most distressed regions in the country today, Vidarbha has been demanding statehood since the pre-independence era. The region has been facing developmental challenges and agrarian stagnation since it was merged into the state of Bombay in 1956 and into Maharashtra in 1960. This was done disregarding the recommendation of the States Reorganisation Commission which had suggested a separate state of Vidarbha. This, coupled with underdevelopment and the chronic agrarian distress has formed the basis of the contemporary demand for statehood in the region. However, the demand has faced stiff opposition in the state owing to staunch linguistic sub-nationalism by parties like Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiva Sena and has also been subject to apathy of successive governments at the centre. This paper is an attempt at situating the demand for statehood for Vidarbha in its context by analysing its causal factors rooted in its post-independence as well as contemporary history.